Some distance away from the Elder's Hall, under the looming spires of Spirit Hall's sacred walls, Bibi Dong walked forward calmly, her gaze sharp and distant.
Lin Yuan followed beside her, his expression cautious while his steps were measured.
Then, suddenly a question dropped like a dagger into the silence.
"Why did you lie, kid?"
Lin Yuan flinched. 'The question finally came.'
For a moment, as if he hesitated.
His mind, which had been on overdrive since the confrontation with Qian Renxue, finally offered a plausible excuse. He softened his expression, let his voice take on the light tremble of false innocence, and said:
"When I awakened the Death Spider Emperor martial soul… I heard people whispering nearby."
"'Isn't that the same as the Saint Lady's?' and 'Could they be related somehow?'"
He lowered his eyes and let the tattered hem of his robe flutter in the breeze, playing into the image of a desperate street orphan.
"So I… I thought maybe… maybe you were my long-lost family."
'I hope it evokes sympathy. She might not completely believe it, but it gives me room to breathe.'
Bibi Dong didn't respond, she simply walked ahead in silence.
The grandeur of Spirit Hall's inner sanctum loomed before them, and within minutes, they arrived at the Pope's Hall, its white walls gleaming beneath the Spirit City sun, etched with gold filigree and ancient symbols of authority.
Bibi Dong stopped on the steps, then turned to face him.
Her voice… surprisingly soft.
"Do you have any more of those Martial Soul Evolution Pills?"
'I knew this will be the second question.'
Lin Yuan sighed inwardly. He had prepped for this the moment the pills made their debut.
He made his eyes go wide with a bit of awe and nervousness, as if recalling a mystical event.
"Some days ago," he began, "I met a man wearing a black cloak. I didn't see his face. He grabbed my wrist and said I would awaken a powerful martial soul in the future."
"Then he handed me that jade bottle, said they would help me evolve after I awakened. And he left."
He lowered his voice.
"I don't know who he was. But… he seemed like someone powerful."
Bibi Dong said nothing.
Her spiritual sense had already swept his entire body the moment they left the Elder's Hall.
'He does not have a space soul guide . Just a pouch with a few gold soul coins, hidden in his clothes'
'Either he's a better liar than I expected, or… there really is something else at play here.'
'I think there is a need to keep an eye on him.'
Bibi Dong's expression didn't change, but her thoughts were sharp as razors.
If only she had seen how Lin Yuan summoned that jade bottle out of thin air, not from a pouch, or from a spatial ring, but directly materializing in his hand, she would've personally dragged him into the deepest dungeon and peeled the truth from his soul.
The only reason he wasn't skewered by She Long that instant was because Qian Renxue had subtly signaled him with with her fingers, a silent gesture only those who were from the Elder Hall would recognize , to let him go.
As Bibi Dong walked silently beside Lin Yuan, her thoughts stirred.
'His martial soul… is not just the Death Spider Emperor anymore. It has evolved and become more stronger. That aura, from which even both of my martial souls, The Death Spider Emperor and the soul Devouring Spider Emperor felt suppression. The power of this Abyss Spider Emperor… it surpasses both martial souls of mine.'
This child, whoever he truly was, was a genius. A dangerous one if not wielded properly.
"Useful pieces are not discarded," Bibi Dong mused. "They are watched… shaped… and kept close until the right time."
Her voice turned calm and coldly kind.
"It seems this was a misunderstanding. Since your martial soul is spider-related, I will assign you a courtyard close to mine within Spirit Hall. If you have any questions about cultivation…" —she gave a half-smile— "you may come to me."
Lin Yuan's mind went into overdrive.
'Is this it? Am I being accepted… as a disciple?'
'If I can become her disciple… maybe I can also act as the bridge between her and Qian Renxue. If I mend their relationship, then Qian Renxue will definitely see me in a new light… maybe even fall for me.'
'And if I manage to contract Bibi Dong too… heh… having both mother and daughter...'
The system's voice cut in like a cold bucket of water:
[Host, your delusion weaving skill has reached a remarkably high level.]
'Hmph. If you weren't so stingy with your support, I would've already contracted Qian Renxue by now.'
[Rules are rules. Only upon completing your first mission will the system grant full access to its advanced functions.]
Lin Yuan gritted his teeth but kept smiling.
He would play the long game.
He didn't notice Bibi Dong watching him out of from the corner of her eyes.
Bibi Dong's eyes lingered on Lin Yuan's face as he stood there, still trying to look humble. But all of his emotions seemed to seen on his face.
'This boy was caught snooping around the Elder's Hall... and he dared present a gift to Qian Renxue?'
The corner of her mouth twitched ever so slightly.
'That pill... that gift he gave her... If it truly can evolve martial souls, then it could've fulfilled Yu Xiaogang's lifelong dream. And yet, he gave it to that angelic spawn.'
Her expression darkened.
'You filthy mud-legged brat. So young, and already you're targeting her...'
She wasn't sure what bothered her more, the fact that Lin Yuan dared approach Qian Renxue, or that she herself missed the chance to seize something that could change Xiaogang's fate.
But none of that was reflected on her face. The Saint Lady of Spirit Hall remained composed.